At one time eBay had a Trading Assistant program.
It basically disappeared because most sellers would not work for the amount consignors were willing to pay.
And most consignors would not pay the amount most seller demanded.
Where I live the minimum wage is $15.25 an hour.
That's 25c a MINUTE.
How long do you think it takes to set up photography, take pictures, and edit them?
Ten minutes each? That's a $2.50 cost for labour.
How long do you think it takes to fill and upload a listing?
Five minutes once a template is in place? That's another $1.25.
Description written. I take from ten to 20 minutes for mine and most of that is editing. Call it $2.50.
Wise sellers have any items they are offering in hand. That requires storage space and an inventory system.
It also means your collections will be in the seller's hands.
Shipping includes packaging materials. Bubblewrap is not free.
How long does it take to package an item? I take about five minutes for a postcard or paperback, much longer if I am double boxing a fragile item like a vase or NIB collectible Star Wars figure.
There are no listing fees if the account does not have a Store, but store subscriptions start at $25 a month,whether there are any sales or not.
Selling fees are usually 12.9% on the selling price, the shipping price and any sales taxes the buyer pays. However, in some categories, like books, the FVF is 15%. So a $100 sale loses $12.90 to $15 in fees.
The seller will want you to pay those fees.
And taxes.
Online sales, like any other income, must be declared as income. EBay, like other venues was told to provide information to the IRS if that income was over $600 annually, although this has been rethought and the income needed for the form to be filed is currently $10,000.
This means both you as the owner and the seller as an employee will be declaring income from eBay sales.
Who will pay the tax consultant.
And you will want a written contract, since a stranger will be in possession of your collections.
I haven't mentioned Claims and Disputes, since those are fortunately few and far between.
It's doable. I sold a friend's collection of books over a 20 year period. But it requires trust and communication.
Have you considered selling your collections to the dealers who sold them to you? Or using a (preferably dedicated ) auction house?
You don't have to go to Sotheby's or Butterfield, ask other collectors and dealers for recommendations. Expect that the advisor will get a "finder's fee" from the auction house.
And for that matter, just selling yourself on eBay or other online venues, can be an interesting and profitable hobby in itself.
